The #1 Reason Why Positive Self-Talk is Critical for Elite Athletes
All athletes talk to themselves. Sports psychologist call this “self-talk”. Some athletes use self-talk in a way that helps them, which is positive self-talk. Others use it in a way that hurts them, which is negative self-talk.
In the bigger scheme of things, it may appear that this idea of talking to oneself is quite minor when it comes to how one performs on the field, court, or mat. So much training goes into being technically proficient, stronger, more explosive, and faster that self-talk is often an afterthought at best.
However, when an athlete treats their current thoughts as after thoughts, they are making a major mistake. All things being equal, the most important performance indicator in sports is control. Controlling the controllables and minimizing the impact of the things one doesn’t control. That’s it.
If an athlete fails at controlling the controllables, they will fail. Moreover, if an athlete can’t control the thoughts that dictate their self-talk, then they can’t control how they will perform.
Simply stated, self-talk is a matter of discipline. This is the #1 reason why positive self-talk is critical for elite athletes. When an athlete uses positive self-talk, they are exercising the discipline of control. On the other hand, when an athlete is using negative self-talk, they are creating a habit of being undisciplined with the things they control.
Controlling the controllables always starts with self-awareness and controlling your self-talk is the start of self-awareness. This is a lesson an athlete must learn if their goal is to be elite.